DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis appears to be considering clemency for Tina Peters, as he extends the deadline for such applications. However, he has not indicated a definite decision and maintains that Peters' application will be reviewed like any other request.
In an X post on Tuesday, Polis cited sentencing disparities between former State Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who was sentenced to probation, and the former Mesa County election clerk Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Both former elected officials faced separate cases and were convicted of multiple felony counts, including attempt to influence a public official.
Peters, who is seeking clemency after a failed presidential pardon, was found guilty on seven state charges, four of which are felonies. She was convicted of orchestrating a data breach scheme based on false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
By contrast, Lewis’ conviction centered on four felony counts for sending fraudulent letters of support to the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee, which was investigating claims she mistreated her employees.
Polis highlighted these differences in his post, stating, “It is not lost on me that [Lewis] was convicted of the exact same felony charge as Tina Peters — attempting to influence a public official — and yet Tina Peters, as a non-violent first time offender, got a nine year sentence.”
This sentiment from the governor has been expressed on previous occasions as well.
In January, Polis told reporters after the State of the State address that he believes Peters' sentence is too harsh, a view echoed by an appeals court the day before.
Polis said at the time, “I think that her sentence is unusual and harsh with a first time offender, nonviolent offender gets. There were remarks similarly in the courtroom yesterday, and that's something that we weigh along with the other factors.”
In an interview with Denver7 the same month, the governor called Peters' sentence "unusual."
"We look at every case individually, and [Peters] is a first-time offender with a nonviolent offense. It's very unusual in our state for [Peters] to get that kind of punishment. So, it's something that we look at, along with many other hundreds of people who've applied for clemency."
Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the governor sent Denver7 the following statement:
“The Governor has expressed skepticism around this inmate’s sentence and was noting the difference in sentencing for two people, both public officials, with the same charge. Governor Polis is not considering a pardon for Tina Peters, and is reviewing her application like anyone else applying for clemency.”
On the same day, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement that Peters was rightly convicted and has shown no remorse. He continued, saying that granting clemency to Peters would undermine justice and threaten election integrity.
Polis said he is extending the deadline for clemency applications until April 3 as he, “Will be making decisions on these cases throughout the remainder of my governorship.”
Meanwhile, Peters claims that the state judge who sentenced her to nine years behind bars violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her for making allegations about election fraud.
During Peters’ October 2024 sentencing, Judge Matthew Barrett called Peters a “charlatan” and said she posed a danger to the community for spreading lies about voting and undermining the democratic process.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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